EVALUATION REPORT ON TRAINING AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN POPULATION COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION (AID/CSD/3314)

AFTER FIVE YEARS OF OPERATION, THE PROGRAM APPEARS TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED MOST OF THE TASKS IT ORIGINALLY SET OUT TO DO. THE CFSC HAD 7 FUNCTIONAL GOALS CONCERNING: (1)GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS; (2)SUMMER WORKSHOPS; (3)NON-DEGREE SHORT-TERM PROGRAMS; (4)PUBLICATIONS AND MATERIALS; (5)A COMMUNICATION WITH FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; (6)SPECIAL SEMINARS; AND (7)A COMMUNICATION LABORATORY. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES IN THE GRADUATE PROGRAM IS LESS THAN PLANNED, VIRTUALLY ALL HAVE RETURNED TO POPULATION-RELATED WORK IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. SUMMER WORKSHOPS ARE THE OLDEST FACET OF THE CFSC PROGRAM. THEY HAVE SERVED MORE THAN 1100 PARTICIPANTS SINCE 1963 FROM 80 COUNTRIES AND HAVE GAINED A STRONG REPUTATION AMONG FAMILY PLANNING PROFESSIONALS AROUND THE WORLD. THE SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS HAVE BEEN VALUABLE IN BRINGING TOGETHER MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND OFFICIALS WORKING IN THE FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS AND MAKING THEM AWARE OF THE NEED FOR GREATER COLLABORATION. THE GENERAL REACTION TO THE PUBLICATIONS WAS THAT THEY WERE USEFUL IN GIVING BROAD GUIDELINES FOR DECISION AND ACTION. THE EVALUATORS ENCOURAGED CFSC TO CONTINUE ITS PRACTICE OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH AS A TOOL FOR DECISION-MAKING AND NOT SIMPLY FOR ITS OWN SAKE. THE SPECIAL CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS ARE A MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT FOR CONTINUOUS REVITALIZATION OF THE PROGRAM. THE ASPECT OF COMMUNICATION WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS A RECENT AND DYNAMIC PRACTICE THAT PROVIDES VALUABLE FEEDBACK. THE EVALUATORS MADE FIFTEEN PROJECT-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDING THAT CONTINUATION OF THE PROJECT FOR AN ADDITIONAL THREE TO FIVE YEARS BE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED.